Rivals: The Ex From Denmark
by Angel-With-Issues
Summary: Long overdue sequel to Rivals Make The Best Lovers Things between Classified and Skipper couldn't be more perfect. Like everything in the agent's life, everything takes a dark turn when Skipper gets abducted by someone from his mysterious past. It's up to the wolf to rescue his penguin but can their relationship last when Classified discovers Skipper's troubled history?
1. The Lover and The Ex

Classified let out a soft hum as he pulled away. Both the animals became speechless as they laid down on the picnic blanket. He'd never imagined in his entire career he would as happy as he was now and with Skipper of all creatures. The wolf smiled lovingly at the penguin, having a hard time keeping his eyes off him. He couldn't believe that a mere six days ago they were rivals, arguing over the silliest little things. Classified should have known that it was only a matter of time before that rivalry became something far stronger and far more precious...Love. For a solid ten minutes, not a sound was made between. Only the distant sound of cars and crickets could be heard. If Classified was honest, he loved the peace and quiet. He had been ages since he allowed himself to be this relaxed. Unfortunately, it was all part of being a highly skilled agent.

"Um...I think you still have one more question Classified." Skipper spoke

"I've told you before that's not my name."

"Then what is it? Oh yeah, you can't tell me." Skipper scoffed

"I wish I could but I can't. I made that decision to keep it classified after I got my sister kidnapped on my second year on the job. I didn't want that to happen again so I had the North Wind classify all my files."

"I mean fair enough but will you ever tell me?"

Classified looked over at Skipper and sighed. He wanted to tell the penguin everything. His actual name, his past. But he couldn't. The wolf made a lot of dangerous enemies during his first two years as an agent and the last thing he wanted was to put Skipper in harm's way. Then again if anyone could be trusted with his personal information it was Skipper. The penguin understood the ins and outs of the spy life. The wolf took a deep breath.

"It's Edward, Edward James Hunter."

Skipper looked at Classified with a shocked expression. "You actually trust me with that information."

"With my life Skippy. Just don't tell anyone I have enemies and if words got out it could put a lot of creatures I care about at risk...including you."

Skipper blushed darkly and smiled. "Good to know you care about me so much. Even after we only just started to get along."

Classified leaned over and kissed Skipper once more. "We have our teams to thank for that. Imagine if they didn't lock us in my room."

"We'd still argue and probably be miserable for the rest of our lived." Skipper chuckled.

Classified just burst into laughter. It was funny how true Skipper's point was. It would have taken them even longer for them to get along and realise how miserable they were making their teams. Then even longer to realise how petty their arguing was and to finally stop. In reality, the two actually owned their relationship to their strike teams. The wolf eased into a chuckle as he began nuzzling the penguin's side with his nose.

"You still have one more question...Eddie." Skipper smiled.

Classified thought about it for a moment. "Are there any crazy ex's I should know about?"

Skipper chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck with his flipper. "Let's talk about something else."

❣️❣️❣️

The shadowy figure began taking a few photos of the events he had witnessed. His boss would love this latest discovery. Especially since it gave the operation more fuel to take down Skipper. Skipper had been a pain in all of their backsides since the very beginning. They all thought that he didn't have a weak spot...but now he did. In the form of a stupid puppy. Once he collected all the information he needed, the figure began heading back to the base. He groaned as one of the boss' henchmen finally got back to him.

"Better get back to base Parker, the boss was apprehended a few hours ago and his second in command is having his moment."

"On my way...You guys need to stop showing that footage I swear." Parker groaned.

The platypus made a hurried retreat back to Blowhole's London base. It wasn't the dolphin's biggest setup but it was his best. When Parker arrived the first thing he could hear was the pathetic wails of a certain puffin. Why Dr Blowhole agreed to bring on Hans, he'd never know. He walked over to Hans' room and was immediately creeped out by what he discovered. He forgot how much Hans was obsessed with Skipper. His room was covered wall to wall with photos of the penguin as well as shelves stacked with homemade toys.

"You seriously need to stop...You two will never get back together." Parker rolled his eyes.

The puffin hugged his penguin plushie tight as he glared at the platypus. "How do you know? I've been watching him for years, and not once has he shown interest in anyone."

"Yeah...not anymore." The platypus sighed, handing over the camera

The puffin placed the plushie with the other before hesitantly taking the camera in his flippers. Hans wasn't sure about this. He knew Skipper very well and highly doubted that the penguin would actually settle down. The penguin was always busy when they were together but they worked through it. That was until the Denmark incidents which broke them up. Hans was never more devasted in his life. He let out a deep sigh as he turned on the camera. He accessed the photos and began flipping through them. Image after image was just his Skipper in the arms of this stupid wolf. Snuggling, kissing, all things that he should be doing with Skipper.

"What's his name?"

"Does it really matter? He's officially over you, move on."

"I can't just move on...Skipper is my soul mate. We are meant to be. So I'll ask you again, What is the wolf's name?" Hans growled

Parker sighed. "Don't know, all his files were classified and blacked out. All I know is that he works for the North Wind."

A wicked smile formed on the puffin's beak. This was all the information he needed. He doubted that this North Wind knew his involvement with Dr Blowhole or his devious past with Skipper. All he had to do was infiltrate the agency, kidnap Skipper and find all the information he could about the penguin's new agent boyfriend. Parker just out a frustrated sigh before leaving the puffin to his thing.

"Just don't let your obsession get in the way of Blowhole's actual plan. He needs Skipper sane if we have any chance this actually working."

"Don't worry, All I plan to do is pay my Skipper a quick visit." Hans laughed maniacally.

Parker couldn't leave that puffin fast enough. That creature was an absolute looney and not the good kind either. He knew that this wasn't going to end well for anyone and their plans will definitely be foiled if Hans kept obsessing over a penguin who has no interest in him.

**❣️****❣️❣️**

It was exactly 0100 hours when Skipper and Classified finally packed up their picnic and headed back to New York. Classified was annoyed, to say the least, mostly because his penguin refused to answer his question about his ex's if he had any. Still, he didn't want to push and it was their first date, after all, they still had plenty of time to dig into each other's past later. The wolf let out a tired sigh before started up the jet's engine and flying off.

"The circus heads for Washington D.C. in the morning. I should really send you the tour schedule so you know where to pick me up for our second date."

"So there will be a second date." Classified smiled

"Of course. I did enjoy the first one extremely."

"I'm glad," Classified said, kissing Skipper's neck.

"But I should explain a couple of things. Until this gets really serious, our teams can't know. I don't like giving my family broad answers and I fear that will be all I can give them until I know this new thing will last."

Classified nodded. The penguin had a point. Skipper's team wasn't just a team but his family. He could get why he didn't want to rush straight away to tell them. The wolf's team especially would overreact. He lost count how many times Corporal and Eva tried to set him up during their vacation breaks.

"Okay Skipper, I agree to those terms. But I have some of my own. Like mentioned previously, any personal information I share to you must stay between us. I don't want to put my team in danger nor my agency. I'm already risking your safety, just telling you my name."

"You can trust me, Eddie, I know how to handle classified intel. This isn't my first rodeo and it won't be my last."

Classified smiled as he soon landed near the circus tents. He opened up the hatch to allow Skipper to leave. He chuckled when the penguin just sat on the panel and stared up at the wolf.

"You should probably get going. I hate for you brother to worry about you."

"It's just strange, I can't remember the last time I felt this kinda bliss before. I don't want the feeling to go."

"If you don't leave me and I can keep that feeling alive." Classified flirted.

"Is that a promise?" Skipper smiled

The wolf leaned towards the penguin and kissed him deeply. He stroked Skipper's side before pulling away. "I prefer to call it a vow."


	2. The Past Does Come Back To Bite You

💕 TWO WEEKS LATER 💕

Classified smiled to himself, eagerly waiting for Skipper's reply. As a gift, he gave each of them a penguin-sized phone that they could easily operate with their flippers. Since then he and Skipper have been texting each other non-stop. They both knew it was going to be hard, especially when both of them had their own personal matters to attend to but it was always excruciatingly painful waiting for his penguin to reply. It always worried Classified when Skipper would take ages to text back, especially when being together meant he had paced a bigger target on Skipper's back then what he had previously. Regardless he knew the penguin could handle himself but even Skipper had his limits. Sharing personal information about his past was clearly one of them. Not able to wait any longer, the agent pulled out the files of the latest North Wind's new recruits. As head agent, Classified was responsible for doing the final checks before they moved onto the final stages of their training. Face to face interviews were only conducted if any red flags were raised. Unfortunately, this happened just half an hour into his investigation. The file was for a Danish puffin named Hans. The more he read the file, the more red flags were raised. Mostly it was what the written in the past employers section of the application: Dr Blowhole, the agency known as The Poisoned Mackerel. The North Wind had many encounters with that agency many times and none of them were at all pleasant. It was filled with ex-agents, mercenaries and criminals. The wolf took the file and headed to the training facility. Once he arrived, Classified stood on the sidelines, watching Hans take down animals four, five times his size. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't impressed by the puffin abilities. The wolf just had to be sure that Hans intentions were pure and not for personal gain. As soon as the puffin was finished, Classified pulled him aside and led him to one of the interrogation rooms. Hans began to internally panic, terrified that his cover was blown. He couldn't afford his set back, not when his plan to get his Skipper back hadn't even been set in motion. The puffin tried his best to remain calm as he took a seat opposite the stupid wolf that stole his soul mate away from him.

"For your information, as far as I'm concerned you are no in trouble. We are just required to ask a few questions when we see red flags in someone's file. This is just for you to classify a few things that were mentioned and for us to get the full story from you. Is it okay we begin the questioning?"

Hans let out a sigh of relief. "Yes sir, I have nothing to hide."

Classified nodded as he opened Hans' file. Thank god he was one of the few cooperate agents. "You have to forgive me in asking you this but mentioned that you've worked with Dr Blowhole as well at The Poisoned Mackerel, why did you decide to terminate your employment with either of them?"

"Change of heart. The agency and the dolphin gave me orders I was uncomfortable with. They wanted to hurt too many people. I changed to make amends for my mistakes."

Classified nodded. He may be against his better judgement but the wolf was a sucker for second chances. He thought that everyone deserved them, no matter how bad they were in the past. It's the main reason why he made the penguins honorary agents. The wolf closed the file and continued the interview. All the puffin's answers to the questions were reasonable and answered from the heart. The rest interview took about half an hour by the time Classified asked his final question.

Lastly, what were your motives behind applying to the North Wind?"

Hans smiled and giggled shyly. "You have a brilliant and positive reputation. One I need if I have any chance to regain my lover's respect. That's why I chose this agency."

Classified smiled. He respected that. Love can make you do stupid things. Like waiting an hour for your boyfriend to reply to your text when you should be doing work. The wolf chuckled softly as he began to think of Skipper. He let out a happy sigh before turning back to the puffin.

"Well, that's all I have for now. I wish you luck with the rest of your training. You're already impressing your superiors." Classified smiled.

The wolf shook Hans' flipper before watching him leave the room. He gathered up the file before his communicator's alarm began going off. Classified ran at full pace to his team's conference room. He was thankful that his team was already there.

"Talk to me, Eva." He panted.

"Dr Blowhole has escaped sir. We believe he had someone on the inside that helped him do so."

"Do we know this location?"

"No, not of yet. We're working on it."

"Keep at it, Corporal, Short Fuse bring in the penguins. Eva and I will try to locate the dolphin."

"Yes, sir." Corporal smiled as he and the seal headed to the jet.

This was the last thing he needed. Just when Classified his life was getting good, something like this always happened and ruined everything. At least it would allow him to see his Skipper again. It had been ages since he last saw the penguin. Texting just wasn't enough, Classified needed to see Skipper. But for now, he had to locate Dr Blowhole before he had a chance to re-establish his operations. By the time the penguins arrived, they had already narrow it down to four possible locations, which was better than how they started. Classified tried to keep a neutral face as he watched Skipper and his family walked in and jump onto the table. He could tell that Skipper was trying to do the same.

"So why did you call us here this time Classified? Misplaced your favourite chew toy?"

Classified rolled his eyes as he walked over to their digital whiteboard. "Dr Blowhole has escaped custody. We don't know much but what we do know is that he had help on the inside. We managed to narrow his location to four of his known bases. Coney Island, Hawaii, Antarctica and London. The best way to tackle this is to divide into four teams of two. Eva and Kowalski, Private and Corp..."

"I can't believe you let Blowhole slipped right from under your noses. So much for advanced tech." Skipper teased.

Classified tried hard not to groan before he continued. "As I was trying to say before you rudely interrupted was it is best to tackle this in four teams of two. Eva and Kowalski can investigate Antarctica, Private and Corporal; London, Short Fuse and Rico; Coney Island with you and me Skipper, taking on Blowhole's Hawaii base."

"Question boss, will we all be travelling in separate vehicles?" Short Fuse asked.

"Yes, it will be less suspicious that way. We can't afford the dolphin to be on to us. Corporal and Private can take the submarine, Eva and Kowalski can take the helicopter. While Short Fuse and Rico can be expressed posted to New York Aquarium and Skipper can take the jet with me." Classified explained. "You all have your assignments, I suggest you move."

Both teams nodded before venturing off to their assigned vehicles. Classified watched as each team left for their location, gradually leaving him alone with Skipper. When they were alone, both leaders let out a sigh, finally being able to turn off the facade they were playing for their teams. They both agreed that their teams weren't ready for such news, especially since neither Skipper or Classified knew where this relationship was going. He smiled down at Skipper before planting a kiss on his cheek.

"You need to learn how to answer a text. I was worried."

"Sorry, dealing with a personal matter. Had my flippers tied."

"You're forgiven, this time. I'll make sure there is a jet, fueled up for us. You okay to stay here by yourself?" The wolf teased.

"I wouldn't be a leader if I couldn't handle being alone."

The wolf chuckled before leaving the penguin alone to check on their jet. Skipper smiled to himself, unable to believe he was finally happy. Sure he was happy before but never this kind of happy. The kind of happy that occurred when you finally meant your perfect match. He waited patiently for Classified to return but he hadn't been waiting long when Skipper heard the familiar sound of icy cold webbed feet against the floor. Before the penguin had a chance to react, the owner of the feet pulled him close and kissed him. Skipper let out a feral growl as he was finally released.

"Skippy, I can't believe I finally found you. You wouldn't believe how much I missed you."

Skipper glared at Hans before pushing the puffin off the table. "How the hell did you get in here? More importantly, how the hell did you find me? I made sure to cover my tracks after you betrayed me."

Hans sighed as he climbed onto the table and stroked the penguin's cheek. "You weren't hard to find, especially after you defeated Dave. After that, it was merely applying to the North Wind. I did so we could finally be together again."

Skipper glared as he slapped the puffin's wing off him. How crazy must this Dane be? After all, he did to him, Hans immediately thought that they still had a chance. You can't make your mate a country's number one enemy and expect everything to be okay. It will never be okay. The puffin broke Skipper's heart and his trust. Not only that he was with someone he knew would never betray him under any circumstances. Classified was good to him, good to his family. Hans, not so much. He wished things were different, but at the end of the day the puffin was a creature of pure evil and Skipper was not.

"You're joking, right? You attempted to destroy my family and banned me from an entire country. You're the last animal I..." Skipper began as he heard familiar footsteps.

"The jet is ready Skipper. We should get going ASAP. We can't have Blowhole pulling a fast one on us." Classified stated.

Skipper jumped off the table and began leaving the room. "Couldn't agree with you more."

"I see you also meant one of our new trainees. From the looks of it, you two already know each other. "

"More or less." Skipper growled.

Hans smiled as he followed Skipper's lead, giving him a secret wink before headed back to his training. He wasn't too worried by the penguin's words. He had ways to change his mind, he just had to be patient. The pain would be unbearable but it was a small price compared to the reward he would be given. This particular penguin let out a sigh of relief as soon as the puffin left. Skipper had hoped that part of his life would remain hidden in the dark depths of his past. A place of no return. The last thing he needed was this puffin wreaking havoc and trying to drive a wedge between his brothers. Like he always did. The penguin looked up at Classified and sighed. He could see the wolf was clearly suspicious with a hint worry.

"Want to tell why you know Hans?" Classified asked.

"You have your secrets, I have mine. Everything about Hans and I are strictly classified, Eddie. I have powerful enemies but unlike you, I don't have an organisation to protect me if things go sideways."

"You are an honorary agent, Skipper. You have me and my team to protect you. But I suppose you're right, there are some things I have to keep secret from you, just promise me you'll speak up if you're in way over your head."

Skipper sighed. "I promise, but I rarely ever over my head. You on the other hand."

"Shut up and get in the jet. If we're lucky we can spend some extra time together before we head back." Classified smiled

Skipper nodded as he followed the wolf on to the jet, sitting on the dashboard as they took off to Hawaii. All he could think about during the entire trip was how close Hans was to him now. How close he was to his family and the new life he built after the Denmark incident. Private was the only one who knew the entire truth, mostly because Skipper had a soft for the little guy and hated seeing what his actions were doing to the Private. Plus at the time, it seemed that if Private did spill no one would believe him. But now, Private's word was more valid than ever. Especially when they stopped treating him like a baby. Still, Skipper trusted the young penguin with his life. He knew how loyal Private could be. The leader was more worried about what his past would do to him. Not only him but all he cared about. The penguin felt himself being nudged softly, seeing Classified looking even more worried than before.

"Skipper can't you tell me anything. You're really starting to worry me. You were silent for a whole hour."

"I'm sorry, but besides Hans, only one other person knows the truth. It will stay that way. I can't afford more of my past creating chaos wherever I step. I just can't." Skipper sighed.

Classified nodded. Deep down he hated that his boyfriend was keeping secrets from him. He knew that sounded hypocritical but the penguin wasn't giving him anything. No clues or hints. Only that one other creature knew about the whole ordeal and goddammit, he was going to find out who it was. He couldn't ask Hans since the puffin clearly made Skipper uncomfortable. So Classified's only hope was this mystery individual. He didn't want to do this but Skipper left him no choice. The penguin was stubborn and clearly wasn't going to change his mind about this. Skipper hadn't been at ease since he saw Hans. Something happened between the two and the wolf was determined to find out what.


	3. Dust and Horrors

Blowhole's Volcano Base

Hawaii

0100 Hours

There was nothing here. The smell of mildew and lingered in the air, suffocated the place like a gas cloud. Classified was sure he would find any evidence of life here. A warm computer monitor, cups of coffee. Just something. But it was the exact opposite. It looked like it had been abandoned for years. Still, the wolf knew better than to trust appearances. Usually, there was something hidden underneath the facade. He kept his penguin close as they began to examine the eerie lair. But every room, every area looked just a dreary as the last. Classified had hoped that this was the break they needed, it frustrated him that there was so little here. Not even a single weapon. The wolf expected that they moved everything to other location, abandoning this one altogether. Annoying but even Classified has to admit it was a smart move. He let out a sigh before he felt Skipper nudge his leg. He looked down and saw the penguin smiling up at him.

"What are you smiling at? There is nothing here, we wasted time Skipper. Every minute we spent here was a minute we could have spent doing something productive."

"I wouldn't say it was a huge waste of time. Blowhole's main servers were located here. Or at that's what Kowalski said. If we can locate them, then we can have your geniuses take them back to your iceberg."

"Skippy, we went through this entire lair. There is nothing here."

"Blowhole isn't as dumb as you may think. He wouldn't have them placed them in plain sight. Not when we both been on this tail fin for years."

"Wait, you've dealt with Blowhole in the past? Why didn't you tell us when we spent all that time looking for him? You could have saved us days of work and searching."

Skipper rolled his eyes, letting out a frustrated groan in the process. "Cause you never asked. Plus Blowhole attacked you and not us. If it was the other way round we would have happily shared our classified files with you."

The wolf did not know how to respond to that. It wouldn't be unorthodox for the penguins to keep intel from them. They did it in the past and every single time to undergo more work than necessary. Upon hearing that Skipper and his team had dealings with Dr Blowhole in the past, it just infuriated Classified to the moon. Then again he guessed he couldn't complain too much, Classified wasn't exactly the most open in the world. Even before he was accepted into the North Wind. His family and past friends would complain about how introverted he was. Not that he minded, it prepared him in the academy. Just not well enough when it came to social situations and dating.

"So...how well do you know Dr Blowhole?" Classified asked.

"Well enough to know how he thinks, functions and what he's planning next. Blowhole hold grudges, big time. He's dramatic and doesn't hesitate to use more deadly means to obtain his goals. That's how well my team knows him."

"Sounds like you had quite a few run-ins if you know that much about him. "

"It's important to grab as much intel on the mammal that's tried to kill you on multiple occasions. That way you know where and when they're going to strike next."

"Tell me is there any villain you've faced that hasn't tried to mutate or kill you?" Classified asked.

"Nope...That's the fun of it."

"Remind me to add you to our watch list. If you're that prone to deadly situations, I want to make sure you at least have back up...whoever that may be." The wolf stated as he began to make contact with the others.

"What are you doing?"

"Seeing if the other have..." He began before being interrupted by Eva. "Eva, please tell me you and Kowalski are having better luck out there than us."

"All we've found are the dolphin's old accounts and a few encrypted files. Besides that, nothing worth mentioning."

"Same here, pretty much a ghost town. Short Fuse, anything at your location."

"Nothing to report boss. Just broken down weaponry and spare parts collecting dust down here."

"Strange, surely we would have known if Blowhole's operations were on the move. Both report back if you find anything of importance. Corporal, please tell me you found something, anything."

Silence.

"Corporal, report...have you found anything?"

Silence.

Classified began to worry when silence rang from Corporal's line. Skipper watched from the sidelines as all three agents tried to contact the polar bear. After half an hour, they all disconnected, leaving Classified to think of another approach. The penguin let out a sorrowful sigh. He couldn't help but feel the same anxiety and fear he felt when Private was placed in this same situation when Dave abducted him. Still, he had faith that whatever situation he was in Private would be able to overcome it and return home safely.

"How come you're not this worried? If Corporal's not answering that means both he and Private are in danger."

"I am Eddie, I'm terrified. But I have faith in Private. The little guy proved countless times he's a force to be reckoned with. I believe Private can get himself out of this one. The question is do you believe that your man can do the same." Skipper stated as he waddled over.

Classified thought about it for a moment. Of course, he had faith in Corporal. The bear was strong in more ways than one. Even though he had a few flaws, he never let them defeat him. Never let them defy who he was as an agent. He just prayed that he was alright.

"Without a doubt Skipper. "

❣️❣️❣️

Blowhole's Underground Network

London

1200 Hours

Both Corporal and Private had no idea what they had gotten into when they invaded the London base. It was bustling with all sort of animal life. Mostly lobsters with the occasional large mammal used as extra muscle. They had to be careful not to be seen, otherwise, their operation would be blown. It wasn't so hard since Private could hide in small places and Corporal could blend in with the larger mammals. The polar bear just had to remove all his North Wind equipment for him to move around safely. So that's what he did, having Private store it safely in a vent close to the exit. After Private made it safely out of the vents, he and Corporal began searching the base for any clues to the dolphin's diabolic plans.

"Corporal, have you noticed anything strange between Skipper and Classified?"

"Strange? What do you mean?"

Private let out a nervous sigh before he began. "Kowalski told me to think nothing of it but I can't help it. Both think I don't notice, the way they look at each other when they think we're not looking. How they conveniently finish each other's sentences or how I've witnessed Skipper sneaking into Classified's room on many occasions."

Corporal rubbed the back of his neck as he picked the penguin up for a hug. "So you've seen it too huh? I'm sure everything is alright Private, if it is what I think it is, we can't pry. They'll tell us when they're ready."

The penguin snuggled into the polar bear and nodded into his fur. He had to trust his Skipper. Private was the only one he was truthful with when it came to affairs of the heart. He guessed because he was the innocent one that believed in fairytale endings and prefered to watch romance films than one about spaceships or where humans punched each other for the name of justice. When Skipper was comfortable then he knew he would be the first one to know. After their little moment Corporal placed the penguin back on the ground before they continued their search. After an hour of searching, a door opened in a hallway nearby. Corporal and Private went to investigate, only to witness a certain puffin mumbling angrily under his breath.

"Why is Hans here?" Corporal asked.

"Wait how do you know who Hans is?"

"He's one of North Wind's latest trainees. How do you know him?"

"He's tried to expose and kill us on multiple occasions. Like all our nemesis do. " Private sighed before sliding off when the coast was clear.

Corporal followed close behind, doing a second lookout for good measure. Once both were comfortable they were alone, Corporal eased opened the door to reveal the horrors that was Hans' room. It was an entire shrine dedicated to Skipper, forcing Private into an internal state of panic. Skipper had told him that his break up with Hans didn't end well. The younger penguin had no idea it was like this. Private enter the room, with Corporal right behind him. The whole atmosphere of this room reminded them of a horror film, eerie and unpleasant. Private wandered to the centre of the room when something soft met his webbed feet. He looked down and saw a plushie resembling Classified, completely destroyed.

"We have to tell Skipper." Private states, turning towards a mortified polar bear.


	4. Backstories and Discoveries

Central Park

1100 Hours

Few Years Ago

It was never good when Skipper wanted a one on one with you. It was the main reason as to why Private had turned into such a nervous wreck when his commander led them out of their enclosure and to a more remote area of Central Park. It wasn't exactly hard to get a read on Skipper but at times he was as sealed up tighter than Fort Knox. This was one of those times but even then Private could sense something was seriously off. Even though his older brothers questioned him about it Private was very good at reading emotions. You become very good at it when you're labelled as the "emotional one" in a team. He was often the first to notice when his brother weren't acting like their usual selves like Skipper was at this very moment and had been for the past six or seven months. To be honest, it worried the younger penguin greatly, it wasn't like Skipper to question the loyalty of his team or to suddenly demand so much of them. Private had been so deep in thought that he hadn't realised Skipper trying to grab his attention.

"S-Sorry S-Skipper, what w-were you tr-trying to s-say?" Private stuttered, letting his nerves get the better of him.

Skipper obviously saw this and gave Private a calming smile. "Relax solider, you aren't in trouble."

"Then why are we here? Not that I don't appreciate the one on one but it rarely ever happens."

Skipper paused as if contemplating whether or not this meeting was a good idea. When Private managed to get a good look of his brother, he could see how defeated and ran down he really was. It was the look Private wore all too often when they were captured during missions or the bad guy would misjudge his abilities. To see this look of Skipper was all too new for the young penguin, leading to so many questions. Instead, he waddled up to his commander and hugged him tight, sighing in relief when he felt Skipper hug him back.

"I need to tell you something Private but it need to remains between us. The information I'm about to tell you is extremely classified but you are the only soldier I know who can help me."

Private pulled away and smiled. "I don't know about that Skipper but I'll do my best."

Skipper let out an incredibly sad sigh before he told Private everything. The young penguin couldn't believe his ear holes as his brother explained how this Hans had betrayed Skipper so much, it left him broken and doubtful of ever finding love again. Private never believe in hate, it up took so much energy when it was so easy to love but listening to Skipper, he never hating anyone more than Hans. He had hurt his commander, his brother, no one does that and gets away with it. The older penguin saw the saddened anger on his brother's face and much as he appreciated the mere willingness to take action, it was the last thing Skipper wanted.

"What's done is done Private, and there's nothing we can do to change that. All I need right now is a soldier I can talk to, can you do that for me?" Skipper asked as he folded his flippers behind his back.

Private sighed and nodded. "We're going to need a code so we can talk without Kowalski and Rico knowing."

Skipper smiled. "What did you have in mind?"

Private thought long and hard about this. It had to be clever while not raising suspicion. It had to relate to this whole situation while not giving too much away. After a few minutes go by the young penguin finally came up with the perfect code.

"We can casually place the word mackerel into our conversation whenever we need to talk about Hans. Since it is a type of fish we do eat, we can say it without the others getting suspicious."

Skipper's smile grew. "I knew I could count on you for this one Private."

❣️❣️❣️

Blowhole's Underground Network

London

1300

Private knew Skipper wouldn't handle any of this well. After what happened between him and Hans. The younger penguin knew his brother would freak out, turning up this paranoia scale all the way up to eleven. Private didn't like what the puffin had turned his brother into during their relationship and would rather the memories be kept hidden in the deepest depths of his mind. He had become incredibly paranoid (even by Skipper's standards) and became a bit of a grouch. The next couple of years, they finally had their old Skipper back but not without the scars. Their leader rarely opened up to anyone and when he did, it was always to Private. The two penguins even had their own code when they needed to discuss anything related to Hans and their break up. It had worked without anyone getting suspicious, which was a relief. Skipper had told Private everything from day one and made him swore not to tell anyone about it. Private had become the only one who knew everything about Skipper's love life, especially the part where he revealed he liked both boys and girls. That was the part that truly thrilled Private, it was the moment Skipper came out to him. So when Private continued to look around the small room, everything came flooding back. He knew Hans was a bit crazy but this was beyond insane, scaring Private tremendously. Skipper was surely in danger if the puffin found him, in fact everyone was. The small penguin continued to look around with Corporal keeping guard near the door. Eventually the penguin found a portable camera on one of the shelves and began flipping through the images. He was expecting more creepy photos of Skipper but what he actually got was photos of him with Classified during a date. Private would have been shocked if he hadn't suspected it in the first place. Which meant that Kowalski's five stages of isolation had actually made it to the finally stage and they had fallen hopelessly in love with each other.

"What did you find there Private?"

"Proof that we were right about Classified and Skipper." Private said as he handed the camera to the polar bear.

Corporal took the camera and began examining the images. "We need to tell him. This could put everyone in danger."

"I know but like you said we can rush them into it. Photos or not, they clearly haven't told us for a reason. Skipper especially."

Corporal nodded. "If that's the case, we should at least take some of the physical photographs with us. We need our bosses everything, they could be in grave danger."

Private agreed as he slid over to the nearest wall and remove a dozen photographs off it. There was so many of them, he doubted Hans would notice if a few were missing. Taking the camera with them, the duo managed to sneak out of the room without being detected and soon headed towards the exit. Unfortunately, that didn't last long. One of the lobster henchmen recognised Private and sounded the alarm. It wasn't long after that when they were forced to fight their way out of the base, which was easier when Corporal managed to get his equipment back. It was a massive effort but they managed to escape with their evidence and with little injury. They set the submarines course back towards the North Wind's headquarters before they finally relaxed in their seats. The mission was a lot to take, especially with everything they found. Hans looming around Blowhole's base, his creepy shrine to Skipper and the camera that exposed Skipper's relationship with Classified. To be honest, Private was hurt that Skipper hadn't told him about it, he thought he was the go to penguin when it came to these sort of matters. The penguin tried not to think about it too much as Skipper must have had a good reason not to. Classified was a good person but Private was very protective over his family, he hated to see anyone of them hurt. So Private spent the entirely of the trip back to base, planning out the exact conversation he would be having with the wolf the next time they were left alone. Classified needed to know what he was truly dealing with when he decided to date this brother.


	5. Evil Plans and Compromises

Private sat down patiently as Corporal attend to few cuts and scrapes he had received from their not-so-friendly encounter with Doctor Blowhole's henchmen. After, he helped the polar bear with his minor wounds before contacting Skipper when they were far from enemy lines. Skipper deserved to know everything regarding Hans. The puffin was clearly unstable and was unhealthily obsessed with his commanding officer. The other situation with the camera and Classified was something to be discussed at a later time. Unless the conversation led to such a topic and Skipper catches him out on his lie, then and only then would he mention the camera. For the time being, the only thing that truly mattered was keeping his brother safe and out of Hans reach. It took a while but after the sixth attempt, Skipper finally answered.

"Private, explain yourself. Why weren't you answering our calls?"

"We would have been exposed sir. The London's base was swarming with life, we're likely to escape how he did."

Skipper let out an anxious sigh. "What do you mean lucky? Are you hurt solider?"

"Not badly...but Skipper, I think we should cancel our mackerel fishing trip. I don't think it would be right if we went with everything that's going on." Private sighed.

The young penguin waited patiently for Skipper to say something, anything. Private figured it was just the older penguin moving somewhere more excluded but with the current situation who knew? Finally, he heard Skipper take a deep, anxious breath before he spoke up.

"What did you find?" Skipper asked.

"Hans' room. It's covered in photos of you, shelves filled with penguin and puffin plushies. Skipper, the whole thing is scaring me. What if he tries to hurt you or us? We need to come clean, maybe Classified…"

"We are not telling anyone Private, especially Classified. That's an order, besides Hans somehow managed to manipulate himself into the North Wind. We can keep a close of him without anyone knowing."

Private sighed. That was the last thing he wanted to hear. If Hans was part of the North Wind then the puffin had access to everything he wanted and needed to take over the world. Worst of all, he had close access to Skipper and despite what he said, the older penguin still had a soft spot for Hans. It was the main reason why the puffing would always escaped their grasp and would do so unharmed. This only worried Private more, especially when he had evidence that Skipper and Classified were in a relationship. A relationship that Hans could easily destroy.

"Skipper, I know you still care about Hans but if we don't say something...he could hurt you again and everyone else. You know how things were when you and Hans were close, it turned you into a big meanie, please sir."

"My word is final soldier, we will handle this on our own. I don't want anyone else involved. I'll see back at HQ." Skipper said before ending the call.  
Private let out a frustrated groan. He knew he had promised Skipper years ago that he would not tell a soul about Hans but if kept his beak close, the puffin could manipulate his way back into his brother's life and hurt him again. He thought long and hard before deciding to hold off for now. Maybe he could convince Skipper to change his mind with the photos he had "borrowed" from Hans' room but he didn't like his chances.

❣️❣️❣️

Blowhole's Volcano Base  
Hawaii  
0600 hours

Skipper waddled back to Classified, not bothering to hide the anxiety he was now feeling. He knew Hans was a bit unstable even when they were dating but how Private was describing him now, the puffin had reached obsessive stalker. Maybe his youngest brother was right about something, maybe Skipper did still care about Hans. There had been times where he truly missed the puffin's company and the moment they shared. If it wasn't for Private constant support, Skipper may have returned to Hans and never be truly happy with Classified. The penguin smiled, staring at the wolf lovingly. While Classified did share a few qualities with Hans, the penguin knew that the wolf would always been there when he needed him. Not only that but Classified was way hotter than Hans, he figured that was mostly due to his posh accent.

"The IT department will be arriving in a few hours, so we have...Skipper you alright?" Classified asked, seeing how distressed Skipper was.

"Private found Blowhole's operation at his London base. They managed to get out but both suffered minor injuries. I'm just worried it may be worse than what he told me."

"He's with Corporal, I'm sure Private was telling the truth. Like you said before he's a force to be reckoned. I'm sure Blowhole's men ended up worse off."

The wolf picked up his boyfriend and kissed him sweetly. He then gave Skipper a reassuring smile and nuzzled the penguin's cheek with his nose, trying his best to calm him down. The penguin usually hated being man-handled like this but with Classified it was different. Everything was different when he was with the wolf. He hummed softly, loving the feeling of Classified's wet nose against his feathers. Skipper held the wolf's muzzle in place, not wanting him to stop. When it did, the penguin let out an angry huff, earning a soft giggle from Classified.

"Like I was saying before our IT department will be arriving in a few hours and have to wait here until they arrive." The wolf smiled, placing Skipper back on the floor.

"So what are we suppose to do until then?"

"You can talk to me. I'm not blind Skipper, ever since you saw Hans you've been acting off. It was like you're scared of him, which is understandable he kind of creeps me out too. Please Skippy, talk to me."

The penguin looked at his boyfriend and sighed. It's not that he didn't want to tell him everything, he wanted to so bad but he was too ashamed at the whole ordeal that he didn't want Classified to look at him differently. That's why he hadn't told the rest of his family, he was so blinded by his own emotions that he couldn't see just how horrible Hans truly was. He knew from past experiences just how much the truth and communication meant to a relationship. Skipper let out a sigh, studying the wolf's scared and dejected expression. Out of the expression his family and Classified could make, this one was his least favourite. He hated seeing people he loved and cared for like that.

"I told you before, I can't. It's not that I don't want to but for reasons I simply can't." Skipper sighed sadly.

"Even if I give you my full file."

"You would do that…"

Classified nodded. "A relationship is based on trust and I know my past actions has not earned it yours. However, if giving you my file helps me earns yours then I'll do it."

Skipper couldn't argue with that logic but he just couldn't. He should have known better and if he did then maybe his entire family wouldn't be in his situation. Skipper acted horribly as team leader during that part of his life and would rather it kept under the rug. It hurt too much to talk about but he knew if he didn't he could loose Classified, that was the last thing he wanted. So he was prepared to make a compromise.

"You're right, it's just too painful for me to talk about. My team suffered from the mistakes I made during that time and I'd rather not bring it up. That doesn't mean we can't reach a compromise."

"What's the compromise?"

"Like I mentioned before one other person knows. I can inform them on the circumstances and they can tell you everything when we get back to base. I just don't want you to look at me differently when you find out the truth."

Classified looked at Skipper and sighed. It wasn't what he wanted but he could tell this was the best he was going to do. The wolf knew better than to push the penguin, still he was happy that he managed to convince Skipper to give up his personal information. Even if he had to bribe him with his own file to get it.

"I'm done judging you. Look what happened last time I did, I got all of us captured by Dave's octopi. But if it will put your mind at ease, I can compromise with you Skipper. It's the least I can do after everything we've been through."

❣️❣️❣️

Blowhole's Underground Network  
London  
2100 hours

Hans knew it would be only a matter of time before the North Wind showed up at Blowhole's base. He expected them to look around, maybe hack into the dolphin's system, what he didn't expect was for them to break into his room and steal his property. The puffin had collected the photographs over the course of their separation, it was his way of coping with the whole situation. He didn't care if other saw him as insane, he just saw as devotion to someone he wanted to send the rest of his life with. Unfortunately, he knew as long as that stupid, intolerable wolf was in the picture, Skipper would never be his. Hans never expected the penguin to be so hurt by their past, he thought their reunion would be filled with loving embraces and kisses, not yelling and shoving. The puffin wished he could...maybe he actually could. Hans heard whispers that Dr Blowhole was working on a device that would bare the results he wanted. His line of thoughts was rudely interrupted by one of Blowhole's henchmen.

"Boss wants to see you."

Hans rolled his eyes before falling the lobster to Blowhole's location. Even before they reached the area, he could hear the dolphin yelling at everyone, he suspected it was due to the North Wind break in. The puffin entered the room his suspicions were correct. Too impatient to wait for Blowhole to finish his rant, he soon interrupted the dolphin mid sentence.

"Sir, I may have a plan to prevent anymore unwanted visits from that annoying agency."

The dolphin turned. "I'm listening."

"Whispers around the base say you're building a mind jacker 2.0. What if you altered it to allow you to erase all good morals from a person's mind? We could use it on one of the agents and they can assist me in eliminating the organisation from the inside."

Hans could tell Dr Blowhole was thinking long and hard about the idea. He wasn't worried, he had faith that the dolphin would see things his way. Hans hadn't let Blowhole down before and he didn't plan too. Everyone wins and it was the best way in destroying the organisation that has been a thorn in both their sides.

"Who did you have in mind?"

"I think we both know the answer to that question."

"Are you sure about this? I refuse to fix another mess if he goes rogue." Blowhole scowled.

"He won't go rogue sir. He is the best option for destroying the North Wind. He's in their inner circle, no one will suspect a thing."  
"I hope you're right. If this goes sideways Hans, I won't hesitate in dragging you down with me. I'm sure the Royal Agency of Fauna Investigations would love to know how you escaped their Danish prison."

Hans gulped. "Don't worry, Skipper is the best option. Nothing will go wrong."


End file.
